Rifles and Shotguns

Lord Brougham and Vaux: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is considered a safe range for the use of (a) rifles and (b) shotguns.

Lord Rooker: Much will depend upon the characteristics of the firearm concerned, the target and the nature of the land over which the shooting takes place. For example, different considerations apply to the shooting of wildlife in uplands as opposed to lowland areas. It is also important that targets are killed and simply not injured or left to die. Different considerations again apply in relation to clay pigeon shooting. It is a fundamental rule of shooting that a shot should never be taken if there is the slightest doubt about the safety of either the shooter or the public.

Upper Brook Street Barriers

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For how much longer the barriers restricting traffic flow opposite the American Embassy in Upper Brook Street are likely to remain in place; and why diplomatic parking is permitted opposite these barriers, which leaves only a single lane for normal use.

Lord Rooker: This is an operational decision by the Metropolitan Police. The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis informs me that the barriers placed in Upper Brook Street are the result of the significant threat to American interests from international terrorism. This threat remains. Security measures across London are kept under constant review.
	The diplomatic parking bays referred to are for the general use of the considerable diplomatic community that exits in the Grosvenor Square area. The commissioner assures me that there is no continuing traffic management problem there. His officers have met with the local community and neither the parking bays nor the barriers have been raised as issues.

Poverty Reduction: WTO Talks

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the new round of World Trade Organisation trade talks, launched at the Doha Ministerial Meeting in November 2001, will be used to draw the poorest countries into the global economy; to increase their access to modern knowledge and technology; and to make progress towards the elimination of extreme poverty.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Doha Development Agenda (DDA), launched at the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Doha, will be a development focused trade round and has the potential to make a significant contribution to poverty reduction in developing countries. According to World Bank figures, the continued opening of markets to trade could lift an additional 300 million people out of poverty, helping make the millennium development goals on poverty reduction a reality. Increasing trade between countries will also increase the flow of investment, goods and services, helping to ensure that developing countries benefit from the advances in modern knowledge and technology.
	To ensure that the poorest countries also benefit from participation in the global economy, the WTO has agreed a work programme for the least developed countries (LDCs) which, among other things, will look at participation of LDCs in the multilateral trading system.

Radioactive Waste

Lord Oxburgh: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many responses they received to the September 2001 consultation Managing Radioactive Waste: The Government's Consultation; how many of those were unsolicited responses from members of the public; and when they expect to announce their plans for the next stage of developing a policy for the long-term management of radioactive waste.

Lord Whitty: Her Majesty's Government have received 280 responses so far to the consultation Managing Radioactive Waste safely, which ended on 12 March. Responses are still being received, and I shall write to the noble Lord with further details as soon as I am able.
	We shall announce our plans once we have considered people's views and agreed the next steps with our colleagues in the devolved administrations.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Baroness Andrews: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to launch a consultation on the future of the landfill tax credit scheme.

Lord Whitty: The Government are today publishing a consultation paper on the future of the landfill tax credit scheme. It seeks views on the priorities for funding from revenue currently spent through the landfill tax credit scheme, the merits of different funding mechanisms and any transitional arrangements. The results will feed into the decisions to be made as part of Spending Review 2002.
	Copies of the consultation paper will be available from the House Libraries or from the Defra website: www.defra.gov.uk.

School Playing Fields

Lord Dormand of Easington: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many school playing fields were sold in each of the seven years 1995 to 2001.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced on 1 October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields that occurred in the 1980s and early to mid-1990s. Prior to October 1998, there was no regulation of the sale of playing fields at local authority controlled schools. No central records were kept of how many school playing fields were sold before October 1998.
	Since October 1998, applications to sell school playing fields have been approved only where it is clear that any proceeds will be used to provide an overall improvement in school sports provision or education facilities. All applications made since 16 July 2001 are scrutinised by the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel to make sure that they meet the department's published criteria. The panel comprises representatives from the National Playing Fields Association, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, Learning through Landscapes, the National Association of Headteachers and the Local Government Association.
	The table below shows the number of applications to sell school playing fields larger than a small sports pitch for the under-10s—that is larger than 2,000m 2 —that were approved in each year since October 1998.
	
		
			 Calendar Year Sports pitch applications approved 
			 October–December 1998 7 
			 1999 42 
			 2000 32 
			 2001 23 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The table includes applications to sell school playing fields from local authorities, foundation, voluntary and former grant-maintained schools.
	2. All sale proceeds are used to provide new or improved sports or education facilities at maintained schools.
	3. "Sports pitch" means an area of open grassed land which is equal to, or larger than, the Football Association's recommended 2,000m(1) area for games played by under-10s and which has a configuration making it suitable for sports, whether laid out as a sports pitch or not.

Citizenship Education

Baroness Howe of Idlicote: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What issues will be covered when "citizenship" becomes a compulsory curriculum subject in September; and whether an outline of the subjects to be taught is yet available.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Citizenship education will be part of the national curriculum for secondary schools from August 2002. It will consist of three main strands: political literacy, social and moral responsibility and community involvement. These will help young people to develop the skills and confidence they need to engage in active citizenship and feel they have a stake in society.
	The National Curriculum Order for Citizenship—laid before Parliament on 23 June 2000 (No. 1603)—sets out the statutory requirements for the subject. Detailed guidance for secondary schools, based on the order, has been produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and sent to every secondary school and can be obtained from www.dfes.gov.uk/citizenship. This allows schools flexibility in how they deliver the subject, for example as a discrete subject or through other subjects. The detailed guidance for primary schools will be available later this year.

Prescription Charges: Exemptions

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What criteria for inclusion underpin the list of medical conditions eligible for an exemption from prescription charges; and
	Whether they will add familial hyperlipidaemia to the list of medical conditions that are eligible for exemption from prescription charges; and, if not, why not.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The list of medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charges was agreed with the medical profession in 1968. Our policy is to give priority to helping people who may have difficulty in paying charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements to people with other medical conditions, including familial hyperlipidaemia. We have no current plans to change the charging arrangements.

Government's Policy Agenda

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the "Third Way" is their only political philosophy; and, if it is not, what is their political philosophy.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Government's policy agenda focuses on sustaining a strong economy and making improvements in productivity and enterprise, continuing welfare reform and increasing social justice, driving through public service reform, particularly in education, health, crime and transport, and taking a leading place at the centre of Europe and the wider international community.

Special Advisers

Lord Campbell of Croy: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to increase or reduce the present number of special advisers.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Government are committed to legislation for the Civil Service and to including in the legislation an overall limit on the number of special advisers. The Government are also committed to consultation in advance of legislation. In the meantime, the appointment of special advisers will continue to be regulated by the Civil Service Order in Council and the Ministerial Code.

Special Advisers

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to introduce a code of conduct for unpaid special advisers.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: No. Unpaid advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in paragraph 51 of the Ministerial Code.

European Court of Human Rights Judgment

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend that there should be a comprehensive response on behalf of the various government departments affected by the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, given on 4 May 2001, concerning the cases of Jordan, Kelly, McKerr and Shanaghan v United Kingdom; if not, why not; and if so, when.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: On 19 March, the United Kingdom's response to these judgments was sent to the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, with a view to its being considered by the Committee of Ministers at a forthcoming meeting. The Government believe that the package of remedial action will constitute full and effective implementation of the judgments. We await the views of the Committee of Ministers.

Republic of Ireland Residents: British Passports

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have received representations from residents of the Republic of Ireland who are seeking British passports as an indicator of equality as outlined in the Belfast Agreement of 1998; and, if so, what was their response.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: We have received a series of representations from an organisation in Ireland. Only British nationals are eligible for British passports and we have responded to the effect that we have no plans to make any new arrangements for the acquisition of British nationality in relation to Ireland. Some recent representations still require a formal response but this will be to the same effect.

Weston Park Discussions

Lord Rogan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations were made by the Prime Minister to the leadership of Sinn Fein at Weston Park in July 2001 about allowing those individuals exiled from Northern Ireland at the instigation of republican paramilitaries to return home.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The discussions between the two Governments and the Northern Ireland parties at Weston Park were private. But the Government's view that all those exiled by paramilitary groups should be able to return home without fear is a matter of public record.

Northern Ireland: Victim Support

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the remit of the Northern Ireland Office Victims Liaison Unit Touchstone Group; what is its membership; and what are the geographical location and remit of each member.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Touchstone Group was established in July 1998 by the then Victims Minister, Adam Ingram, to enable a cross-section of those representing victims' interests to provide government with advice and guidance on policy development in this area.
	Membership was drawn mainly from those victims' groups which had made contact with Sir Kenneth Bloomfield in his role as Victims Commissioner. Individual membership tended to change from meeting to meeting (a list of the groups represented as at January 1999 follows).
	The group has not met since October 2000, following a decision by Adam Ingram to evaluate its role in light of the ongoing developments in the victims' field. The Victims Unit in OFMDFM, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's Victims Rights Working Group and the Civic Forum had all been established and the provision of core funding by the NIO had led to a growing number of victims' groups.
	Adam Ingram consulted with Ministers in the devolved administration who agreed to include a question on the future of the Touchstone Group in their consultation paper for a cross-departmental victims' strategy which was launched on 11 April 2002.
	Government policy on the future of the Touchstone Group will be co-ordinated with the devolved administration's strategy. Membership of the Touchstone Group as appeared in VLU's Newsletter January 1999. Group An Crann/The Tree Cost of the Troubles Study Cunamh Disabled Police Officers Association Families Acting for Innocent Relatives * Families Against Intimidation and Terror Kairos Relatives for Justice Shankill Stress Centre Social Services Inspectorate Sperrin Lakeland Health Trust Survivors of Trauma Victim Support NI WAVE Victims Liaison Unit
	* Families Acting for Innocent Relatives was asked to be represented but refused to take its seat (this information did not appear in the newsletter).

Northern Ireland: Victim Support

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the recommendation of the Victims Commissioner (Sir Kenneth Bloomfield) that the effective targeting of the special needs of victims should be a specific subset of the targeting social need objective has been implemented; and, if so, what progress there has been.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: "To provide support to victims of the Troubles" was included as an objective in the New Targeting Social Need (New TSN). The actions associated with this objective are: to distribute funding for groups supporting victims of the Troubles; and to work with the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund to explore the possibility of developing and funding programmes to assist disadvantaged victims of the Troubles.
	To date, Government have allocated £6.1 million core funding for victims and survivors groups; £225,000 initially for a victims support grant scheme to assist community groups and voluntary organisations to take forward recommendations in the Bloomfield report and more recently a further £750,000 to extend this small grants scheme; £3 million to the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund, with a commitment of a further £2 million at a rate of £1 million per year for the next two years. The fund has put in place a number of schemes, including: the Small Grants Scheme, the Education & Training Scheme, the Respite Break Scheme, the Amputee Assessment Scheme, the Wheelchair Assessment Scheme and the Chronic Pain Management Scheme.

Terrorist Prisoners: Royal Prerogative of Mercy

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the guidelines and procedures for the use of the Royal Prerogative; and whether the Royal Prerogative has ever been used for terrorist prisoners.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: By constitutional convention, the Government are responsible for recommending to Her Majesty the exercise of the Royal Prerogative of Mercy. The Royal Prerogative of Mercy has traditionally been exercised in three ways: in a free pardon, a conditional pardon or the remission, or partial remission, of the penalty imposed by a court. This is a flexible remedy, and the Government cannot restrict themselves as to how they might recommend its use. It is necessarily reserved for the most exceptional of circumstances.
	The Royal Prerogative of Mercy has been used in relation to terrorist prisoners.